G-REG FAQs

Level 3

The Government Regulatory Practice Initiative (G-REG) is a network of central and local government regulatory agencies established to lead and contribute to regulatory practice initiatives. G-REG aims to bring together the regulatory workforce, by working on actions to improve leadership, culture, regulatory practice and workforce capability in organisations and systems.

In 2008, central and local government regulators began working to improve the professionalisation of regulatory practice in New Zealand. In 2014, the Productivity Commission released its report ‘Regulatory Institutions and Practices’. Many of the issues identified by the Commission had a regulatory practice component. The Commission acknowledged the work already underway and made a set of recommendations designed to build on that work. The government then released its response to the report in 2015.

There were four areas of response which were: stronger ownership and leadership from the centre, greater focus on improving the quality of legislation, greater professionalisation of the regulatory workforce, and review and evaluation.

As part of the response, the Government Regulatory Practice Initiative was tasked with leading one of the four work streams around professionalisation of the workforce.

G-REG has been developing qualifications for regulatory professionals in partnership with Skills. There are five, covering levels 3-6. Over 20 government agencies are involved to consult and provide feedback on their development.

Participants gain a fully funded and nationally recognised qualification which is transferable across all government departments. They also gain a structured programme of training to enable them to perform their role with confidence. The qualification will mean a reduction in barriers between experts, investigators, auditors and policy advisors, which in turn will improve decision making processes.

The qualification is for everyone who works in, wants to work in, or is closely associated with a regulatory compliance team. This includes people such as those doing compliance roles, technical advisors, investigators, managers and support staff.

The qualification drives greater consistency and standardisation across the regulatory system. It also provides a wider recruitment pool of qualified practitioners as well as a more mobile workforce. The structured programme of training is likely to be cost effective and sustainable over time.

If a participant doesn’t meet successfully complete the assessment after their first attempt, they will have access to re-sit the incorrect question(s) immediately. If, after the second attempt they do not pass, their learner support person will need to unlock the assessment. The assigned learner support person will receive an email that will include a link to do this

The process we will be using for the L4 Operational Practice and L5 Specialised Operations will be assessment using naturally occurring evidence from the workplace by sector assessors. The process will involve self-assessment, evidence portfolio, verification, and an assessment interview.

It is not a cross-credit per se but involves the person providing evidence of their current role that meets the requirements of the qualification. Cross-crediting is a process where a candidate believes they have qualifications (or unit standards) that can meet the equivalent in the Regulatory Compliance qualification(s). There is no direct cross-credit, but this would fall under the evidence portfolio submission where existing skills/knowledge would be taken into consideration.